Transmission-gear.



0. BEESB TRANSMISSION GRAB..

APPLIOATIOH FILED JAB'. 3, 1810. 936,347, Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1N VEN TOR. Otto Be es e A 'l'ToleNE Y.

0.o. E S uu M n W 0.' BEESE.

TRANSMISSION GEAR.

uPLIoATIoH FILED un. 3, 1910.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

Hg. u

INVENTOR. Ozol Bewe- @Elf ATTORNEY. v

0. BEESE.

TRANSMISSION GEAR. APPLICATION PILBD un. a, 1910.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

3` SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Snes

WITNESSES:

'ITORNE Y.

"`- OTTO BEESE, 0F ALTON, ILLINQIS'.- l

tig v TRANSMISSION-GEAR. I

To all whom 'it may concerm' Be tknown that I, O'rfro BEE'sE, citizen of the United States, residing at Alton, in

the. county of Madison and State of Illinois,

have invented certainnewand useful ,Im'

provements in Transmission-Gear, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the .accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof My invention has relation to improvements in transmission-gear; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set 'forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

Y In the drawings, Figure 1 vis a middle longitudinal section of the gear mechanism,

with parts in cent-ral position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the transmission, gear with parts set tof full forwardspeed; Fig. 3 is a similar vie '1 with partsset to reversing position; Figi/i is a cross-section on the line 4*4 of Fig, 1; Fig. .5 is an end view-of the inner terminal of the motor-shaft; Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a face View of the outer race-way disk of the multiple gear w/ith slides in position; Fig. 8 is a side view of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is-a cross-section on the lin'e,9-9 Eof Fig. 7 Fig. 10 is a face view oflt/he! inner race-Way diskof the multiple 4oiea`i,'14`ig'. 11 isa cross-section on the line 114-11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a face view of the cam-disk for changin the direction of rotation of the transmission shaft; Fig. A13

' is an enlarged middle longitudinal section of the coupling between the transmission gear and hollow transmission shaft; Fig; 145 is a perspective of. one ofthe slides carried by the race-way disks; Fig. 15 is a plan of the coupled sections of the hollow transmission shaft, parts being broken to show the inner supporting axleor rod; and Figs. 16 and '17 are diagrammatic views of the multiple gear members showing manner of effecting direct and reverse rotation.

The present'invention finds special application in connection -with self-propelled vehiclesor automobilesand has for its object to provide a transmission-gear .by Awhich variable speed may be imparted tothe vehicle for forward propulsion and which may be. instantly reversed inA cases of necessity or emergency. 4 l

A further object is to provide av gear which may be assembled a compact form; one instantly responsive'to the controlling lever; one composed of a minimum number specmeatiq of 'Letters Patent. Application lved January 3, 1910. 'Serial No. 536,168.

Patented Mans, 1911.

of parts, simple .in construction, readily.

manipulated, and one possessing further and other advantages'better apparent froma detailed description of the invention, which is as follows Referring to-the drawings', A, representsV the rearor drivin axle' of a self propelled vehicle or automo ile o n which is mounted the bevel gear-wheel 1 incased in a shell or housing 2 as welll understood in the art. -Meshing with the gear wheel 1 -is apinion 3 carried at the adjacent end of an inclined hollow transmission. shaft 4,. Said -shaft being supported by the inner cylindrical rod or. axle 5, the lower forked end a of which is secured by a pin p passed through the forks and through a supporting'bracket within the housing 2. The parts described, and others shown but not referred to, are well understood in theart, and form no part of the present invention. Forming an extension or continuation of the hollow shaft'4, and coupled thereto by a universal joint Cl of any approved and conventional design, is the horizontally disposed tube or hollowshaft 4 which in turn. rotates about the inner cylindrical axle or stem 5 forming an extension of the axle 5, and coupled thereto by a terminal tongue and groove connection t as best shown in Fig. 15, said connection allowing the meinber 5 the necessary independent longitudinal movement to which it is subjected dur- 1 ing one of the phases of the operation of the transmission ear as presently .to be described. The ollow shaft extension =4c terminates at the end adjacent to the joint C `ina iiange 6 against which bears one end of an expansion spring 7 coiled about the extension, the opposite endv of the spring bearing against the adjacent end of a sliding sleeve 8 feathered to the member et (feather shown at f) and rotatable therewith. The sleeve operates through a bearing 9 which thus serves as a support for the members 4', 5. The end of the axleextension 5 opposite the tongue-and-groove connection t terminates in a bevel friction 'disk 10 which is encompassed by a hollow conical clutch-member 11 the hub-portion 11 of which is loose on the'shaft 5 and free to rotate about the same. The adjacent ends of the hub 11 and the sleeve 8 have formed thereon. the usual or conventional clutch formations e. by 'which the members 8 and 11'are kept in permanent engagement under the expanding action of the spring 7 which forces the member 8 into forcible Contact with the hub 11 of the memberl 11.

\Mounted rotatably between ears or lugs 12, 12 on either side of suitable openings formed in the bottom ofthe conical member 11 on diametrcally opposite sides of the hub 11' are cam-disks 13, provided with levers, arms or lingers 14 as shown (Fig. 12.) On the face of each cam-disk on the side opposite the arm 14 is mounted an anti-friction 4roller 15 projectingvbeyond the periphery of the disk (Fig. 12), the rollers being adapted to engage the adjacent face or base-of the conical friction disk 10, the cams 13 projecting far enough into the hollow of the member 11 to pen mit the rollers to thus engage the disk 10.

It will be seen (Fig. 13) that by'oscillating the arms 14 outwardly so as to rotate the disks 18 in proper direction to force vthe rollers 15 against the disklO, the disk 10 and clutch-member 11 will be forced apart, the d isk 1,0 serving as an abutment for the lrollers 15 with the rotation of the cam-disks about their 'respective axes. The purpose of this action and the means for oscillating the arms 14 and rotating the cams 11S-in proper. direction will be explained later' on, it,4 being sufficient for the present to mention that the necessary oscillation is imparted to the arms 14 by the grooved sliding 'diskor shifting member 16 loosely mounted on the sleeve 8 in proximity to the cams 13, andin osition to be forced into contact/with said ngers 14.

'Ihe spring 7 by the expansion-of which is insured the permanent engagement of the sleeve 8 with-the hub 11 of the clutch mem- -'ber 1'1, likewise serves, in the forwardv propulsion of the machine to force the member 11 into frictional engagement with the head 17 -at-the adjacent end of the shaft 18 carried by the inner race-way disk D of the multiple gear to be presently more fully described.

To afford proper support for the shaft 18 the end thereof adjacent to the member 10 is provided with-a reduced extension or stem 19 which permanently engagesa socket 20 in said member 10 as shown.

' The disk --D is confined in the annular housingh of the circular casing H, both of which are concentric with the axis of the shaft 18, the outer face ofthe casing being provided with a hollow hub It likewise concentric with theaxis of'said shaft 18. Within the casing H proper is disposed a central partition wall 21 inwhich is formed a circular .race-way or bearing 22 eccentric tothe axis of the casing, said bearing receiving a second disk D rovided with a peripheral groove d .for t e antifriction ball bearings 23. Through the axis of the hub 7i passes loosely the adjacent end of the motor-shaft S leading from any suitable source of power (not shown) and supported at a convenient point in a bearing 24, the inner endof the shaft terminating within the chamber of the hub h' .and adjacent the disk D in a circular' head 25 about the center of which are disposed pins 26 arranged along the circumference cfa circle intersecting the axis of the disk D', (Figs. 1 6, 17), the axis of the head 25 being thus eccentric to the axis of rotation of the disk D'. rThe face of the disk D opposite the head 25 is provided with three race-ways or diametric grooves W' intersecting at the center of the disk, the bottoms of the race-ways being formed with de res* the adjacent face of the disk D, the pins 26'v being disposed along a circ'le\concentric with the axis of the disk D and intersecting the axis of the disk D..

Sincethe center of rotation of the disk D is eccentric to the common axis of rota-4 tion of' the diskA D and Vhead 25and since the circles defined by the positions of the respective sets of pins4 26, 26', are equal, it follows that the traverse of the circle 'idem tited with the pins 26 will be onone side` 105' it follows from the relative positionof the parts, that for four revolutions of the head .25 (or shaft S) there wouldbe imparted two` revolutions to thegadisk D', and one Vrevolution to the'disk4 D (and hence to its shaft 18 'and head 17 assuming of course that the casing H is itself held against rotation. Four revolutions of the vmotor shaft S to onerevolution of the' head 17 corresponds to a slovr forward speed of the vehicle, in which event the' casinoF H must be held against rotation. This 1s acomplished by the controlling, mechanism to be vnow described. Pivoted at apoint A27 is a shifting lever 28'-the forked terminal' of onearm ofwhich .engages the grooved portion of the sliding disk 16, the'end of the opposite arm being pivotally connected to the adjacent end o hand-lever 30 pivoted at one end and loosely a rlink 29 actuated by a link 29 being pivotally tate in either direction.

oppositeend of the secured to the adjacent endof a lever 31 pivoted at 32 at the opposite end.l Between the lever 30 and 31, the link .2 9 is provided with an enlargement 29 in which is formed a curved slot 33 convexed outwardly, said slot being traversed coupled to the lilik, the

by a stud 34 projecting laterally from the boss 35' (Fig. 4) which is in hinged/relation to the links 36, 36, pivotally coupled to the endsof the brake-band 37. The brakeband and links are not new, the construction shown being a conventional one Vfor 'a brakeband of this character. By voscillating the controlling lever -30 to the right or left (Figs. 1, 2, 3) it isapparent that longitudinal movement or reciprocation will be imparted to the link 29. When the parts are in their central position (Fig. 1) wherein the stud 34 occupies the center of the curved necessary draft .has been exerted upon the ends of thebrake-band 37 to draw the latter tightly about the casing H` andhence hold the same against rotation. By swinging A the lever to the right or left (Figs. y2, 3)

the stud is forced tothe ends of the curved slot 33 and toward the casing thereby relaxing the tension on the band and releasing the casing and leaving the same-free to ro- Mounted loosely and slidingly on toward the hub h and thus set the brakeshoes 41 thereby coupling the motor-shaft S lto the casing H in which event the casing (by this time released from the brake-band 37) i's free to Aro-tate with the motor-shaft S and at the same rate ^f speed'. This condi-I tion prevails for andcorresponds to the maximum or full forward speed of the car as presently to be seen. Screwed or otherwise secured to the face of the housing h is a shell or clutch-'casing 42 terminating in a conical end of the same pitch with theclutch-member 11, the purpose of which casf ing will be best apparent from a description of the operation of the invention which is as follows The operation may be described with reference to three distinct positions of the controlling lever 30, the prevailing position being the central one as shown in Fig. 1. When in that position, the slot 33 slot 33, at which point the stud. is farthest rfrom the periphery ofV the caslng H, the

the shaft Y S between the bearing 24 and hub la', is aA diawill have drawn the stud-34 loutwardly thereby drawing the band 37 tightly about the casing H and holding the latter against rotation. In thatpositionv the ends of the long4 arms of the bell-cranklevers- 39 are just touching the inclined walls of the cone 38, and the sliding disk 16 is just contacting .with the fingers or arms 14 of the cam-disks 13, andthe member 10 just clears the head 17 Likewise the spring 7 has forced the sleeve 'S'into engagement with the hub 11 of the clutch 11,' and has forced the latter into positive and' 'frictional engagement with the head 17 which is itself secured to the shaft 18 of the adjacent race-way disk D forming the'inner member of the multiple gear series (D, D'v,25) identified with the casing H. Assuming therefore thatthe motor-shaft makes four revolutions in a given period,A it follows that the head 25 carried thereby will` make four revolutions,

said head imparting two revolutions to the l disk D which in turn imparts one revolu# tion of the disk'D and'its head or male clutch-member 17. -From the member 17 rotation is communicated to the member'll which in turn rotates the sleeve 8, but as the latter is feathered to the hollo'wshaftextension '4' the said extension' through the medium of the joint C will impart a corresponding rotationto theshaft 4, which in turn through the pinionA 3 and bevel gear 1 imparts rotation to the axle A, (or to any multiplying gear which may bel interposed between the axle and the gear 1). The central position of the lever 30 thus corresponds to the slow forward travel of the car.

has been oscillatedv to the right or to the position indicated in Fig, 2. It will be seen that the medial. portion of the lever 31 -is Let us now assume that the lever 30 looped about or equivalently connected' to the small endof the cone 38 (the same as an ordinary clutch-lever) so that when the lever 30 has been swung to the right, the

cone 38 is shifted in the same direction,y the inclined walls thereof parting the long arms of the bell-crank levers -39 and oscillating the short arms thereof toward the. hub hf of the casing H, thereby setting the brakes or shoes 41 tightly against the hub and thus clamping the entire casing`H to the motor @shaft S; In this movement the stud V34v has passed L.to the left hand end -of the curved slot 33 so that the tension on the band 37 has been relaxed and -thecasing H released. At the same time thelever 28 has shifted the disk 16 away from thecams 13, but the action of the spring. 7 has in no wise been disturbed. So that the shaft S rotates it vwill carry the casing H bodily around with it imparting thereto an equal number of revolutions, 'the shaftand casing rotating as a unit. sponds to the full or maximum forward This position thereforejcorreent rotation being imparted however to the l'parts 25, D5, D, since they'all rotate with the shaft S and the casing H). Again, let us assume that the lever 30 has been oscilf lated to thefleft as shown in Fi 3.` In that case the cone 38 has released t e hub fr of the-casing H, 4and the band 37 has relaxed its grip on the casing, the stud 34 havin passed to the right hand end of the curve slot 33. In said movement however, the lever -28 has forced the disk 16 against the arms 14 of the cams 13 Vrotating orrocking the latter about their respective axes, causing the rollers 15 to brace themselves a ainst the member 10 thereby driving the atter minal of the shellfor clutch-casing 42 (s'e forcibly against the head 17 and locking said head against rotation. It is for the slight` movement to which the head 10 is thus subjected that thetongue and grooveconnection t (or its equivalent) between the axle 5 and axle 5 becomes 'necessar Bythe time the cams have been rocke their full extent with the shifting of the disk 16 in the direction indicated, the travel of the rollers 15 overl the face of the now. stationf vary member 10 (whichy thus serves as an.

abutment ag inst which the rollers may brace themselives) forces the clutch member 11 into positi e contact with the conical ter# Y sldes of the raceway and the block, the latfter 1s split along opposite faces to a4 certain cured to thecasing I-I') the spring 7 being in a measure compressed, 4the retraction of the wears loose the yiel in fthe splits may be force into firm contact by the spreading screws n. however, is -not claimed as it is a well known f member .11 from engagementwith thehead 17 into engagement with theshell 42 neces-v sarily moving the sleeve 8 toward the lshoulf der Gland thus to that extent compressing the spring'7 (Fig. 13). It follows therefore,'that for the third 'position 'of the conclaim is head 17 (and hence the disk D) held against rotation by the jamming or driving of the trollingvlever30 (Fig.Y 3) not only is themember 10 against said head 417, but the clutch members 11 and 42 are brought into positive contact, permittingv the member 11 to participate in any, rotation to which the shell 42 or the casing H may be subjected under the circumstances.` AWhat this rotation'is may be vbest gathered from Figs. 3 and 17: Assuming the shaft S to make four revolutions in`a given time, it -is apparent that two revolutions will be imparted to the disk D in the same direction; but since the disk D is held against rotation and the casing Has a whole is free to turn'(the band 37 having been relaxed) it follows that since the disk D can not turn with thev disk D', said disk D will now act as a stationary abutment against the sides of whose raceways W the pins 26 and blocks 28 of the disk D can brace themselves thereby constraining the entire casing H to rotate as abody, not in the same direction with the disk D but in the reverse direction.A IVhere 4 the disk D rotates in the same direction with the disk n the 'plained; butwhere the disk across the axis of the disk through t v ticular racesway in which'the block is cono'sasrr `formervirillrevolve at onehalf the'speed of the latter as already exagainst rotation, the revolution which the d1sk D loses when revolving with the disk 4D` 1s added to the number of revolutions of the casing in its reverse rotation, so that for four revolutions of the shaft S the casmg will make three revolutions in the opposits direction. We thus develo three reverse` revolutions ofthe casing H Fa of the shaft 4) to four ldirect revolutions ofi `the motor shaft S. v

nd hence `The race-way disks D, D and-the manner of. drivmg the, same from a shaft or axis eccentric to their respective axes of rotation (show n diagrammatically in Figs. 16, 17) are no t new, this form of mechanical movement belngwell known in the art; but the specific dlsposltlon of such race-disks in 4a casing adapted tobe held against rotation under certain circumstances, and to be allowed free rotation under other circumstances, is be-l lieved to be new. The action of the blocks y28 is of course well understood, each block as it drives the disk being free to reci `rocate' e parned... i i

To always insure good contact between the depth m, m, (Fig. 14 ,vV and when the block outside walls of rIhis feature expedient in the arts.

'Having described my invention, what Iv 1. In combination with a casin rotatable about a eentral axis, a motor-sha disposed along sald axls on one side of the casing, a transmisslonlshaft'about the same axis on the oppositeside of the casing, a pair of cooperatlng race-disks mounted eccentrically -to oneanother in the casing, one of said disks beinglconcentric with the axis aforesaid and the other eccentric thereto, means on the transmission shaft for coupling the same Vto the adjacent race-disk, means'on the motorc shaft for clutching the casing directly to the shaft, whereby the casing may rotate in uni- D` is locked son with said Vmotor-shaft, and controlling means for releasing the casing to permit of such rotation.

2. In combination with a casing rotatable abouta central axis, a motor-shaft disposed along said axis on one side of the casing, a transmission shaft on the opposite side of the casing disposed about the same axis, a series of transmission members mounted rotatably in the casing and relatively eccentrically to one another, means for imparting rotation' to said members from the motorshaft, a clutch-head secured to the Vmember ,trans-mission shaft to the clutch-head aforesaid, a shell carried by the easing and enveloping the clutch-member, and devices under the control of the operator for disengaging the clutch head from the spring-controlled clutch member and forcing the latter into engav'ement with the shell, and simultaneously eholding the clutch-head and transmission member thereof against rotation, and means for releasing the easing to afford vfreedom of rotation thereof about its axis.

3, In combination with a casing rotatable about a central axis, a hollow transmission shaft disposed on one side of the casing about said axis, a transmission disk mounted in the casing concentrieally with the axis thereof, a clutch-head coupled to the disk and located outsidethe casing, an axle in the hollow shaft, a friction disk terminating said axle opposite the clutcl'i-head, a spring-controlled sleeveslidingly feathered to the hollow-shaft, a. clutch member on the axle normally. forced by the sleeve into engagement with the clutch-head, a shell carried by the casing' l and encompassing the clutch-member aforesaid, a pair-of diametrically opposite ngercams rotatably mounted on the clutch-member and normally engaging the friction-disk aforesaid, a shifting member on thesleeve adapted to engage the cam-fingers, a controlling lever, a brake for holding the casing against rotation, and intermediate connections between the brake and shifting member for forcing the latter against the cam fingers thereby driving the friction disk into positive engagement with the clutch-head and releasing the latter from. the clutchmember and forcinfr the clutch-member into engagement with the, shell, and simultaneously releasing the brake from ,the casing.

4. In combination with a rotatable casing provided with a series of race-disks mounted in eccentric relation to one another, a motorshaft, a transmission shaft, means under the control of the operator'for transmitting rotation from the motor-shaft to the transmission shaft either through the disks or through the casing, said controlling means comprising as a part thereof suitable intermediate connections for holding the casing stationaryor releasing the same according to the character-of transmission desired.

5. In combination with a rotatable casing Nprovided with a series of race-disks mounted in eccentric relation to one another, a motorshaft, a transmission shaft, means under the control of the operator for transmitting rotation from the motor-slmft to the transmission shaft either through the disks or through the .casing in the same direction with the motor-shaft, said controlling means com rising as a part thereof suitable interme iate connections for holding the caslng stat1on' ary or releasing the same accordlng to the character of transmission desired, and means for reversing the rotation of the casing and of the transmission shaft. A

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

OTT() BEESE. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK,

Jos. A. MICHEL. 

